The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is a subsidy provided to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and allow children to access Early Learning and School Age Childcare. The subsidy is progressive and depends on a number of factors including the age of the child, the income of the household and the number of children in the family. Those with the lowest incomes receive the highest subsidies. The subsidy is subtracted from the fee and the balance (if the fee is not entirely offset) is then charged to the parents. These subsidies can be as much as €229.50 per week.
It is important to note that the hourly subsidy awarded to each family under the income-assessed scheme varies depending upon a number of factors including the age and number of their children, and their household's reckonable income. This award can then be used to off-set the cost of up to 45 hours of care a week, but the number of hours used is a matter for the individual family and their provider. This variability in family claims should be borne in mind when considering the figures.
Below are tables of the average hourly and weekly subsidy levels for Income assessed NCS claims by income decile at snapshot dates for each of the years 2020 to 2024.
Table 1 (2024): Average hourly and weekly subsidy levels for Income Assessed NCS claims with income <= €60k, by income decile for 2024 (using a snapshot as at 2024/04/29)
|
Decile
|
Income band for this decile for 2024
|
Number of children
|
Average hourly subsidy
|
Average weekly subsidy
|
|
1
|
0- €15,212
|
5,705
|
3.99
|
87.30
|
|
2
|
€15,213-€20,105
|
5,689
|
3.98
|
84.00
|
|
3
|
€20,106-€24,517
|
5,707
|
3.99
|
87.11
|
|
4
|
€24,518-€28,352
|
5,697
|
3.90
|
84.37
|
|
5
|
€28,353-€31,958
|
5,690
|
3.62
|
75.41
|
|
6
|
€31,959-€35,948
|
5,693
|
3.34
|
68.50
|
|
7
|
€35,949-€40,748
|
5,705
|
3.02
|
62.26
|
|
8
|
€40,749-€46,254
|
5,694
|
2.63
|
53.26
|
|
9
|
€46,255-€52,239
|
5,702
|
2.21
|
45.27
|
|
10
|
€52,240-€59,993
|
5,705
|
1.71
|
35.21
|
|
Total
|
|
56,986
|
3.24
|
68.27
|
Table 2 (2023): Average hourly and weekly subsidy levels for Income Assessed NCS claims with income <= €60k, by income decile for 2023 (using a snapshot as at 2023/04/24)
|
Decile
|
Income band for this decile for 2023
|
Number of children
|
Average hourly subsidy
|
Average weekly subsidy
|
|
1
|
0- €14,219
|
5,400
|
4.00
|
89.31
|
|
2
|
€14,220-€18,956
|
5,395
|
4.01
|
86.68
|
|
3
|
€18,957-€23,434
|
5,390
|
4.00
|
89.71
|
|
4
|
€23,435-€27,295
|
5,402
|
3.95
|
86.53
|
|
5
|
€27,296-€30,898
|
5,402
|
3.71
|
78.71
|
|
6
|
€30,899-€35,391
|
5,398
|
3.42
|
72.08
|
|
7
|
€35,391-€40,439
|
5,397
|
3.07
|
64.76
|
|
8
|
€40,440-€45,871
|
5,398
|
2.68
|
56.79
|
|
9
|
€45,872-€51,765
|
5,382
|
2.26
|
48.77
|
|
10
|
€51,766-€60,000
|
5,400
|
1.74
|
38.58
|
|
Total
|
|
53,964
|
3.28
|
71.19
|
Table 3 (2022): Average hourly and weekly subsidy levels for Income Assessed NCS claims with income <= €60k, by income decile for 2022 (using a snapshot as at 2022/04/25)
|
Decile
|
Income band for this decile for 2022
|
Number of children
|
Average hourly subsidy
|
Average weekly subsidy
|
|
1
|
0- €14,443
|
4,206
|
4.05
|
91.77
|
|
2
|
€14,444-€19,255
|
4,207
|
4.05
|
88.99
|
|
3
|
€19,256-€24,163
|
4,211
|
4.06
|
94.68
|
|
4
|
€24,164-€28,176
|
4,205
|
3.93
|
86.63
|
|
5
|
€28,177-€31,904
|
4,207
|
3.54
|
77.30
|
|
6
|
€31,905-€36,270
|
4,202
|
3.09
|
67.17
|
|
7
|
€36,271-€41,145
|
4,209
|
2.58
|
56.61
|
|
8
|
€41,146-€46,127
|
4,210
|
2.04
|
46.39
|
|
9
|
€46,128-€51,816
|
4,207
|
1.44
|
33.65
|
|
10
|
€51,817-€60,000
|
4,206
|
0.73
|
18.29
|
|
Total
|
|
42,067
|
2.95
|
66.15
|
Table 4 (2021): Average hourly and weekly subsidy levels for Income Assessed NCS claims with income <= €60k, by income decile for 2021 (using a snapshot as at 2021/04/26)
|
Decile
|
Income band for this decile for 2021
|
Number of children
|
Average hourly subsidy
|
Average weekly subsidy
|
|
1
|
0- €13,699
|
2,881
|
4.07
|
95.82
|
|
2
|
€13,700-€18,740
|
2,883
|
4.09
|
94.05
|
|
3
|
€18,741-€23,608
|
2,879
|
4.08
|
94.14
|
|
4
|
€23,609-€27,868
|
2,882
|
3.98
|
89.11
|
|
5
|
€27,869-€32,137
|
2,877
|
3.57
|
79.83
|
|
6
|
€32,138-€36,806
|
2,880
|
3.08
|
70.01
|
|
7
|
€36,807-€41,690
|
2,879
|
2.55
|
59.09
|
|
8
|
€41,691-€46,590
|
2,882
|
2.01
|
47.94
|
|
9
|
€46,591-€52,368
|
2,881
|
1.41
|
34.70
|
|
10
|
€52,369-€59,992
|
2,882
|
0.72
|
19.51
|
|
Total
|
|
28,802
|
2.96
|
68.42
|
Table 5 (2020): Average hourly and weekly subsidy levels for Income Assessed NCS claims with income <= €60k, by income decile for 2020 (using April 2020 claims)
|
Decile
|
Income band for this decile for 2020
|
Number of children
|
Average hourly subsidy
|
Average weekly subsidy
|
|
1
|
0- €15,170
|
1,239
|
4.12
|
97.54
|
|
2
|
€15,171-€22,084
|
1,238
|
4.14
|
100.47
|
|
3
|
€22,085-€27,726
|
1,239
|
4.05
|
97.09
|
|
4
|
€27,727-€32,601
|
1,239
|
3.58
|
82.67
|
|
5
|
€32,602-€36,903
|
1,240
|
3.07
|
72.45
|
|
6
|
€36,904-€41,367
|
1,239
|
2.59
|
60.91
|
|
7
|
€41,368-€45,567
|
1,236
|
2.11
|
52.65
|
|
8
|
€45,568-€49,518
|
1,241
|
1.64
|
41.04
|
|
9
|
€49,519-€54,208
|
1,240
|
1.17
|
30.82
|
|
10
|
€54,209-€59,987
|
1,234
|
0.63
|
17.91
|
|
Total
|
|
12,385
|
2.71
|
65.36
|
Income Assessed NCS claims are defined as claims that were eligible for payment following submission of attendance returns by the service provider and parental confirmation, where applicable), with an application type of “Income Assessed”. Some applications may have type “Income Assessed”, but the actual award may be at universal subsidy rates if the reckonable income is too high. Therefore, in the tables above, claims with incomes > €60,000 have been excluded.
Please note that children may have more than one application in any calendar year and the applications may have different income levels so children may appear in more than one income category in the same calendar year.
